Cooking is a popular pastime which is enjoyed by millions of people around the world. In the preparation of foods for consumption, cooks select, process, combine and typically heat a variety of ingredients using a variety of tools and methods. The food preparation process is often considered an art form in which the flavor, texture and appearance of a mixture of ingredients is transformed into a food or dish having an appetizing appearance with a flavor and texture that are appealing and pleasant to the taste.
Foods which are prepared for consumption using conventional cooking methods range from meats such as steak, chicken and fish to desserts such as cakes and pies. These foods are usually prepared according to a recipe, which is a set of instructions that specifies which ingredients are to be used in preparation of the food as well as the quantities of the ingredients; the conditions and tools which are to be used for processing each ingredient prior to mixing of the ingredients; the times and temperatures at which the ingredients are to be subjected to heat; and post-heating requirements or suggestions such as chilling or the addition of toppings and other taste-enhancing foods, spices or condiments to the cooked food. Experienced cooks may vary these parameters to produce a food having a taste and/or texture which may differ from that which would result from strictly following the recipe.
As many cooks have learned by experience, two people can prepare the same food according to the same recipe with different results. Some persons may seem to have a “knack” for combining the ingredients in a certain manner to achieve a result which is superior to that which is obtained by others. Additionally, a person may prepare food according to the same recipe more than once with different results each time. The variations in taste and texture may be due to minor and imperceptible differences in preparation of the foods each time. Moreover, inexperienced cooks may have a tendency to undercook or overcook foods.
Accordingly, a programmable cooking system which can be programmed to facilitate cooking of foods according to precise recipe requirements is needed to enable optimum and repeatable preparation of a variety of foods irrespective of the ability or experience of the food preparer.